centinewton

Centinewton (symbol cN) is a unit of force in the metric system. It is defined as one hundredth of a newton, so 1 cN = 0.01 N = 0.01 kg·m/s^2. The centinewton is considered a non-SI unit; it is not part of the International System of Units, but decimal multiples of the newton continue to be used in some contexts to express small forces without resorting to decimals in newtons. The centinewton is equal to 10 millinewtons (mN): 1 cN = 10 mN, and 1 N = 100 cN.

Applications and usage: The centinewton appears in older engineering literature, calibration data, catalogs, and hobbyist measurements where small forces are common. In modern scientific and engineering practice, forces are usually reported in newtons or millinewtons, with cN appearing only occasionally for convenience in certain datasets.

Relation to mass: Under standard gravity (exactly 9.80665 m/s^2), 1 gram-force (the force exerted by gravity on a 1 g mass) is about 0.00980665 N, which is about 0.9807 cN. Thus 1 cN is roughly 1.02 gram-force.

A note on standards: Because it is not an SI unit, the centinewton is used only in contexts where historical or practical conventions call for it. For precise work, use newtons.